


Beauclair White

by Tlern467



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:41:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tlern467/pseuds/Tlern467
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Beauclair White

Beauclair White 

Geralt of Rivia's yellow eyes glowed in the semi darkness. "God, I hate portals," he sighed.  
Shani chuckled and took his hand. "You didn't have to come, you know?"  
"Said yourself there might be a monster down here," Geralt replied.  
"Come on," she said and led the witcher through the portal. 

On the other side was a subterranean wonder. Architectural wonders long lost to time-the soft glow of blue and green light everywhere. Geralt didn't need his heightened witcher senses though to feel something was terribly, terribly wrong. A curse perhaps?  
Shani shivered. "Is it just me or did it suddenly get very cold?"  
"Not just you. Something's going on here," Geralt said. "Watch yourself, Shani."  
Geralt cautiously moved forward, his medallion started humming. Yeah-no doubt about it-magic of some kind.  
"Medallion's humming," Geralt mused.  
"Do you always talk to yourself during hunts?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Oh, nothing." 

There was no sound other than their footfalls. Geralt wiped dust from an old door.  
"An inscription, hmm," Geralt said. "Elvish. Too bad I'm not great at Elder Speech, can barely make it out. Something about memory hall, I think."  
"Memory hall?" Shani said.  
"My medallion never hummed with other memory halls before," he said. "Hmm. Let's keep going."  
"Right behind you."  
They meandered their way up a staircase onto a wide balcony. Wine goblets still sat on the balcony ledge still partially filled with wine, Beauclair white from the scent. There was a table in the middle of the balcony with chairs half pulled out. Some chairs had instruments on them-a lyre, a tambor. Almost as if their users had been spirited away suddenly. The table itself was set-fine platters, gilded cups. More Beauclair white. These cups had also been drunk from.  
Shani walked toward one of the cups and looked in it. She started to reach for it, almost as if in a trance.  
"Shani!"  
"Hmm?" She shook her head as if shaking off sleep.  
"Dont touch those cups," Geralt said. "Something about the wine."  
"You think so?"  
"Yeah, no doubt about it. My medallions humming but I'm not sensing anything else. No people, instruments left. Only the cups with half drunk Beauclair white."  
"A curse then?"  
"Maybe," Geralt said. "Wont know for sure until I get more information."  
"Alright," Shani said. 

The ruins were completely empty-sometimes swords from Tir na Lia were left, helmets. Cups of partially consumed Beauclair white. Was the wine enchanted or something else?  
There was still the hum of magic. They made it to what must have been the vestibule to the Great Hall when suddenly Shani cried out.  
"Geralt!"  
"Shani?"  
Geralt heard a song-a humming. His medallion hummed. Suddenly-so drowsy.  
"Sleep," Triss(?)' voice said softly. Triss(?) How was she-?  
"Sleep my dear," Triss(?) said again.  
Shani stumbled toward Geralt and held onto him. Geralt felt his legs wobble. Somehow he managed to guide them both to the gilded carpet so they didnt crack their skulls on the hard stone.  
"I'm...scared," Shani said sleepily.  
Geralt couldn't lie-he too was afraid. Whatever this magic-it was powerful. Very powerful.  
His body couldnt fight the effects of the spell any longer-he closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of Beauclair white. 

Kaer Morhen. The smell of Beauclair white. A warm fire and the smell of pine. Shani gently reposed on the Koviri couch in front of the fire, the blanket draped provocatively around her. Her hair was freshly washed in loose tresses that smelled faintly of rowanberry, her favorite. It was like those nights in Vizima years ago during the height of the Catriona epidemic.  
Spectral forms flitted in and out, just on the edge of sight.  
"Geralt, that was-wow," Shani said. "I didn't know."  
"Didn't know what?"  
"That you felt that way about me," she said. "It's been years since Vizima. I thought you'd forgotten about me entirely, about us."  
"Of course not," Geralt said. Even in the fugue of the dream, he knew he meant it.  
There were cups of Beauclair white that suddenly became very clear. Shani picked up a goblet and sniffed it. "I didn't know you liked Touissant wines, Geralt. Beauclair white. Drink with me, Geralt."  
Something warned him against drinking the wine. Shani looked at him with sultry eyes and sipped from the goblet. Yet in that gaze there was a hint of something else-something darker. Hungrier. He backed away.  
"What's wrong, Geralt?"  
He didn't know, his thoughts muddled. All he knew was he had to not drink the Beauclair white.  
"What's wrong?" Shani asked, but the tone shifted ever so subtly. There was a hungry sharpness to it.  
"No, I won't," Geralt said.  
"Why not?"  
His thoughts were still languid, hard to grasp. Shani was looking at him expectantly. "Well?"  
The wine! Something about the wine.  
"Something about the wine," Geralt said.  
"Oh?"  
"Why-why did those elves disappear after...after drinking the wine?"  
Shani's lips turned into a pout. "You disappoint me, Geralt. You dont really want to know-do you? You want to be here-with me. Don't you?"  
He couldnt deny that he did, but also that he was in terrible danger here.  
"You know I do, but...I can't. So...tell me, why did those elves disappear after drinking the wine?"  
Anger and hunger flashed in Shani's eyes, though she was trying to conceal it. "No, you dont want this. You cant want this."  
"I want to know why," Geralt said.  
Shani rose, her facial features twisting, turning bestial. Kaer Morhen evaporated around him. Shani-the real Shani-was crumpled in a weak bundle behind the creature.  
"I gave you everything you ever wanted!" the creature screamed. "Everything! All I ask is that you stay with me! But you're just like them-the ones that made me!" Her fingers had razor sharp talons. The spectral forms solidified and the illusion shuddered and gave way. Elves of all sorts were dead-some in pain but most with contented blissful expressions. All of them smelled faintly like Beauclair white.  
Geralt drew his silver sword. The creature shrieked.  
"I gave them all everything! I gave you everything! Now you defy me-die!!"  
"Bring it on," Geralt said.  
He quickly took superior vampire oil and coated the silver with it, then ingested some black blood potion. The creature snarled and launched at him. Geralt nimbly dodged out of the way and swung, a quick fast attack nicking the beast. It screamed again and launched in a pinwheel attack, claws and teeth. Geralt threw Aard and the creature fumbled backward. It shifted into something more ephereal, dancing quickly. Geralt threw his moon dust bomb and the monster snarled in pain as it became physical again. Another blast of Aard stunned the creature and a dimetrium bomb. It snarled and screamed again, this time in real pain from the dimetrium's effects. Interesting. This was a different sort of vampire altogether. Geralt spun in close, a blend of fast and strong attacks that all connected with the beast. Another toss of dimetrium.  
The battle went on-a dance of skill and witcher knowledge.  
Finally, the monster crumpled into ash with a horrid scream, leaving only its monstrous visage. Geralt's medallion stopped humming-it was like all the residual magic in this ancient place finally went away. The cups of beauclair white were gone as well, spirited away with the monster's demise.  
"What...the hell was that," Geralt said with a deep breath. His side smarted from a few claw swipes from the beast. Wounds that would heal eventually given a few days, probably leaving another few scars.  
Shani opened her eyes and stood up. "Geralt?" She asked. "What-what happened? Last thing I remember-we came here, I fell asleep then...then we were at your witcher stronghold. Only...it wasnt me. It was someone else. Not that I didnt enjoy kissing you, or well, anything else that happened. Just...would've liked it to be me and you. Now I get what you felt like with Vlodimir possessing you. Is it over?"  
"Yeah," Geralt said. "Still dont know what that monster was-some kind of vampire, but it claimed it was created by these elves. Dimetrium worked on it too-dimetrium doesn't work on most vampires."  
"I feel so silly and foolish," she said. "After all we..."  
"We could always try again," Geralt said.  
"We tried in Vizima. We move around so much, but..."  
"I'd be willing to try again," Geralt said.  
"Maybe," Shani said. "I do love you Geralt, I do but I just...don't know if we're meant to be."  
Geralt nodded.  
"Come on, let's get out of here. Ill just have to tell them I didn't find anything, which is more or less the truth. Certainly nothing I can use at least. You might want to give the head to the Watch Captain, Geralt."  
Geralt nodded again. The two walked out of the strange ruins lightly holding each other's hands.  
So much had come to light, so much to process. 

They emerged out in the sunlight. Oxenfurt was in sight.  
"I meant what I said, Geralt. I do love you, but I need to think about it. About us. Really, seriously. Can you give me time?"  
"Of course, Shani."  
"Thank you Geralt," Shani said. She kissed him on the lips. "Well...time to get back. See you again, Geralt."


End file.
